Madhya Pradesh - 'Bidi' exempted from VAT in MP

The Madhya Pradesh Government today announced exempting 'bidi' from VAT and auctioning of 'nazool' and 'non-nazool' land after amending the Revenue Book Circular.

The decisions were taken a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters here. The meeting decided to make necessary amendments in the RBC for disposing off 'nazool' and 'non-nazool' land through auctioning. A committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner with the district Collector as its member would be formed for identifying and disposing 'nazool' land having site value. Approval for auctioning the identified 'nazool' land would be granted after the report prepared by concerned departments was examined by the Revenue Department. The meeting sanctioned Innovation Encouragement Policy for encouraging creativity at various levels. A detailed project report has to be presented before the state Planning Board for the proposed innovation for examination. Later, the report would be presented before a competent committee for approval. Mishra said the meeting decided that four per cent VAT being imposed on 'bidi' at present should be ended.

Regarding the Excise policy, the meeting decided to fix Rs 30,000 and Rs 15,000 as license fee for business club in urban and rural areas respectively. Besides, a decision was taken to grant permission for the sale of foreign liquor, having ex-godown price of more than Rs 600 per case, at restaurant and bars. The decision would be effective from July 1. The cabinet has also approved the revised family pension scheme as per the recommendations of the Brahmaswaroop committee in order to reduce the difference occurring in the pension and family pension cases belonging to retired or deceased employees before January 1, 1996. The meeting decided to cancel the lease of five acre land of the closed umbrella industry of the state Industrial Corporation in MHOW and transfer it to Pithampur Auto Cluster Ltd.

The meeting decided to cancel the contract of the Ratlam Alcohal and Carbon Dioxide Plant with M S G Distilleries and provide the benefit of voluntary retirement to labourers. Sanction was accorded for the revised capital share of Rs 610.92 crore with regards to increase in the estimated cost of the Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power Station expansion unit no 5 (2x500) MW worth Rs 2,300 crore. The cabinet has also approved a loan worth Rs 2,730 crore, sanctioned by M/S PFC, for 2,000 MW Malwa thermal power project in Purni village of Khandwa district. Likewise, security of online assets in place of state government's guarantee and Rs 810.6 crore as share capital for financial assistance to the project has been accorded approval in the cabinet. The cabinet has also accorded approval for filling up the vacant positions in panchayat and rural development department through public service commission. With this, 29 posts of assistant engineers and seven posts of block development officers would be filled up.